11.2. How can I use Interchange with Microsoft Access?

Though Interchange has ODBC capability, the Microsoft Access ODBC driver is not a network driver. You cannot access it on a PC from your ISP or UNIX system.

However, you can turn it around. Once you have created a MySQL or other SQL database on the UNIX machine, you may then obtain the Windows ODBC driver for the database (MySQL has a package called myODBC) and use the UNIX database as a data source for your PC-based database program.

Here is a quick procedure that might get you started:

Get MySQL from:

http://www.mysql.com/

Install it on your UNIX box. On LINUX, it is as easy as getting the RPM distribution:

http://www.mysql.com/rpm/

You install it by typing, as root, rpm -i mysql-3.XX.XX.rpm. If you are not root, you will have to build the source distribution.

You install this package on your Windows 95 or NT box. It is a simple setup.exe process which leads you to the control panel for setting up an ODBC data source. Set up a data source named test_odbc that points to the database test_odbc on the UNIX box. You will need to know the host name and the port (usually 3306).

With Microsoft Access, you can then open a blank database and select: File/Get External Data/Link Tables. Select File Type of 'ODBC databases' and the proper data source, and you should have access to the database residing on the UNIX side.

Copyright 2002-2004 Interchange Development Group. Copyright 2001-2002 Red Hat, Inc. Freely redistributable under terms of the GNU General Public License.